Lowamahapaya

Anuradhapura

So called because it once had a bronze-tiled roof, the ruins of the 'Brazen Palace' stand close to the bodhi tree. The remains of 1600 columns are all that is left of this huge pavilion, said to have had nine storeys and accommodation for 1000 monks and attendants.

It was originally built by King Dutugemunu more than 2000 years ago, but through the ages was rebuilt many times, each time a little less grandiosely.

The current stand of pillars (now fenced off) is all that remains from the last rebuild – that of King Parakramabahu I around the 12th century.

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Nearby Anuradhapura attractions

1. Sri Maha Bodhi

0.13 MILES

The sacred bodhi tree is central to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and physical sense. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India and is…

2. Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba

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This magnificent white dagoba is guarded by a wall with a frieze of 344 elephants standing shoulder to shoulder. Apart from a few beside the western…

3. Archaeological Museum

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The old British colonial administration building has recently been renovated and has an interesting collection of artwork, carvings and everyday items…

4. Folk Museum

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A short distance north of the Archaeological Museum is this dusty museum with mildly interesting exhibits of country life in Sri Lanka’s North Central…

5. Buddhist Railing

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A little south of the Jetavanarama Dagoba, on the other side of the road, there is a stone railing built in imitation of a log wall. It encloses a site…

6. Dakkhina Stupa

0.34 MILES

Most tourists ignore this 2000-year-old stupa, but legend says it holds the cremated remains of King Dutugemunu (r 161–137 BC). It's now mostly used by…

7. Jetavanarama Museum

0.43 MILES

A 1937 British colonial building provides a suitably regal venue for some of the treasures found at Jetavanarama. The objects displayed here range from…

8. Jetavanarama Dagoba

0.55 MILES

The Jetavanarama Dagoba’s massive dome rises above the entire eastern part of Anuradhapura. Built in the 3rd century by King Mahasena, it may have…

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